Objective:
Objective 1: Apply high-resolution genetic mapping and transcriptome profiling to identify genes in sugar beet and related species that contribute traits (e.g. early season development and stand persistence) to sustainable crop and biomass production.
Sub-Objective 1.A: Generate genetic maps in the context of recombinant inbred lines (RILs).
Sub-Objective 1.B: Discover genes via transcriptome profiling with emphasis on early season traits such as vigor, stand establishment, and transition from heterotrophic growth through sucrose accumulating capacity.
Sub-Objective 1.C: Develop additional RIL and genetic populations and enhanced germplasm for release.
Objective 2: Characterize diverse populations of root rotting pathogens of sugar beet at the molecular level, and identify genetic components that affect host-pathogen interactions to minimize disease losses.
Objective 3: Develop improved screening methods that provide better resolution of young plant development and disease reactions that enable more rapid and effective selection of improved germplasm for release to the sugar beet community.

Approach:
Selfed families will be created from self-fertile materials generated to dissect the genetic control of high priority sugar beet disease resistances. A program of phenotypic selection is followed by selecting mother roots from field nurseries and selfing these hybrids in the greenhouse. A genome sequence will be constructed and molecular markers will be developed from sugar beet nucleotide sequences, located to one of the nine beet chromosomes, and compared with segregation of disease and agronomic traits to identify genetic control. A genetic linkage map will be created for eventual isolation of specific genes that control agronomic and disease traits. Transcript profiling will be employed for gene discovery, however these tools are new for germplasm enhancement and their use has not been well explored. Examining transcript of profiles during sugar beet emergence and development, and during abiotic and biotic stress will allow deduction of important physiological and biochemical clues to the plant responses to stress and development that can be used towards more rigorous application in germplasm enhancement. Traditional sugarbeet population improvement approaches will be deployed for open pollinated, self-incompatible germplasm for release to industry. Production of improved populations will follow from mother root selection under field, greenhouse, or laboratory conditions of one or more germplasm sources, followed by random inter-mating, and harvest of seed from either individual plants, genetically related individuals, or as an entire population. The prevalence of different sugar beet pathogens in the Michigan agro-ecosystem will be ascertained, and used to develop high priority targets for transcript profiling. Differential disease reactions to Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani, for instance, alone and in combination, will form the basis to better characterize the disease infection process and assist in identifying targets of opportunity for breeding intervention. Novel approaches for screening populations for traits will be tested, such as Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and image analysis, and deployed to phenotype high priority traits. Populations and their progeny showing good agronomic and disease performance will be folded into the general agronomic and disease nursery evaluations, and released to industry as enhanced germplasm.